Musings from a Busy Mom

I always said I would not get upset about my children's grades - that I would not discipline over my children's school performance.  Well, today I blew it. First, let me explain.  I homeschool three children ages 6, 7, and 9 - second, third, and fourth grades.  I just got back from MOPS Convention on Sunday afternoon, with the plans to start school on Monday.  I thought I had it all figured out. The children were going to do their 'computer work.'  All three children have laptops that we found on clearance so they don't have to take turns using the computer, and they all have some subjects on the computer.  The youngest has Science, Language Arts, and Spelling.  The middle has Bible, Math, Science, History & Geography, Language Arts, and Spelling.  The oldest has Bible, Spanish, Math, Science, History & Geography, Language Arts, and Spelling. We normally use a classical model of education, with the exception of math, and use the...

While up in the middle of the night because the dogs were playing too loudly and the house was too hot, I decided to get caught up on emails and Facebook.  I am amazed at all the comments about what occurred yesterday (Chick-Fil-A appreciation day). I am amazed at the overwhelming response and for some reason I was actually a little amazed at how misinformed some people are and at how people were able to twist what is happening.  I really shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. Many people went out to support a company that has always been known as a Christian company.  Other protested - either at one of the franchises, by boycotting the restaurant chain, and/or through social media.  Everyone had one thing in common: we all had the right to voice our opinions and beliefs on the subject.   Watching and listening, I discovered a few things.   First, why were people dining at Chick-Fil-A yesterday?  I saw three - no, make that four - ...

Okay, I just have to say this, and some of you will be offended (sorry)!  Many people, including myself, are making more and more things at home - from sauces, ketchup, bread, and jams - to quilts and crochet washcloths - to household cleaners and dish and laundry detergent.  Some of us are doing this because of allergies, some for better quality, others to save a buck, and some of us just for the challenge.   Nothing wrong with any of these reasons.  I do it for three of those reasons: allergies, quality, and challenge.  Yes, I do sometimes to save a buck on some items, but there are just as many times when I am paying just as much if not more to make it myself, which is frustrating, actually.  I know I spend more on my good olive or canola oil I use in making mayo than I would on a jar of Duke's, but my son is allergic to soy, so I make our own.  Yes, I spend more on the local honey to make my ketchup than I would on a bottle of Heinz, but I'm goi...

We've all been told to 'feel the burn' and that exercise is supposed to hurt.  So, what is supposed to be our motivation that makes us do something we know will hurt?  It would be so much easier just to sit on the couch and watch another movie.  After all, our grandparents and their parents, and so on throughout the ages, did not get caught up in the latest exercise fads.  Why should we exercise now? Well, frankly, our grandparents did not have to make a point of exercising.  It was a part of their daily lives: walking through their gardens weeding and hoeing and harvesting; washing laundry by hand and going out to the line to hang it up and back later to bring it in; washing down their walls and sweeping their floors, taking their rugs outside to beat them; and the generation before that would either walk or ride horses into town rather than sit in a car.  They would walk to their neighbors for a visit, which often included helping them with their chore...

Do you ever feel like you are just the wrong person - doing the wrong thing - at the wrong time?  I have recently found myself in this state of mind.  And when I go there, I bring others with me.  Not that they know it, but they are there in MY heart.  When I go to the place where I am down on myself, I also get down on those who are closest to me - my husband, my children, and sometimes even my friends and other family.  When I don't feel good enough, I don't see the loves of my life as good enough, either. Why do we go down these roads?  I believe we allow Satan to plant seeds of self-doubt.  At times I feel that I should not be a MOPS Field Leader (and before that a MOPS group leader) because I don't always have it all together.  I don't have all the answers, I sometimes yell at my children, I don't always get along with my husband, I get frustrated, and I sometimes let the housework go - for far too long.  Sometimes I feel like I should...

If I were given a pop quiz on car maintenance, I think I would get most of the answers right.  Especially on true or false questions like the following. True/False:  It is important to check the oil before driving.   Yes, I think i would pass the quiz.  However, my problem comes in the practical application.  Did you know if you run out of oil that your car will overheat and after getting your car to the parking lot behind McDonald's you will be stranded with three children with nothing to do but to walk to McD's let them play in playhouse? Yes… It's true.  And of course you will have to call a friend to get the food out of your car because it is your turn to provide the main dish for a ministry in which you are involved.  Well, what could I do?  I could gripe and complain and be all down about it.  Or I could take the time in McD's to rest and read a good book that just happened to be in my purse (I had to take a child to a doc...

low-fat loaded potato soup with grilled chicken salad I have heard different view on what people eat after gallbladder surgery.  According to my surgeon, I should avoid milk and fried foods for a couple of weeks, but other than to resume a normal diet.  However, I've heard of people who had to go on a liquid diet for a few days, others who needed a bland diet, and still others who were almost immediately able to eat spicy foods.  I also heard from people who have had no problems since surgery, and others who years later still cannot eat certain foods and have some GI problems.  What does this mean to me?  All this tells me is that everyone is different. For me, as long as I take an antacid in the morning and evening, I can eat most foods.  However, I am choosing to take this time to really adjust my diet (again), and hopefully this time for the long term.  I will say, though, that tea is the only drink I can keep down in the mornings now, and...